Seattle Families One Step Closer to More OB Care Choices with New Virginia Mason Birth Center with CHI Franciscan

SEATTLE, Oct. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CHI Franciscan and Virginia Mason today announced the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has approved Virginia Mason's Certificate of Need application for a Level II Special Care Nursery, paving the way for the new Virginia Mason Birth Center, an Alliance with CHI Franciscan. The two organizations have partnered to provide comprehensive perinatal services in Seattle, including an outpatient obstetric and women's health clinic, expected to open in January 2020, and a full-service birth center with a Level II Special Care Nursery, expected to open in the summer of 2020. The new program will offer personalized birth experiences and increased access to high-quality care for mothers and families throughout the region.

"Expanding access to premier women's and children's services in Seattle will create more quality care options for families in our communities," said Ketul J. Patel, CEO of CHI Franciscan. "We are proud to be opening the new birth center with Virginia Mason. This is another exciting step for CHI Franciscan as we further expand our clinical expertise throughout the greater Seattle region."

The new 20,000 square-foot birth center will combine CHI Franciscan's regional leadership in personalized obstetric care with Virginia Mason's focus on quality and innovation. The birth center will be staffed by physicians and certified nurse midwives.

"The nursery approval represents a major milestone in our partnership and our women's health offerings to the greater Seattle community," said Virginia Mason Chairman and CEO Gary S. Kaplan, MD. "We look forward to the work ahead to begin providing a comprehensive set of perinatal services with CHI Franciscan in Seattle next year."

CHI Franciscan and Virginia Mason's joint obstetrics program will follow a collaborative care model- utilizing expert physicians, certified nurse midwives, nurses and staff from both health systems to personalize care for each mother and newborn.

The new birth center will feature:

• Private labor, delivery, and recovery rooms
• Personalized birth plans that offer many options and respect the preferences of expecting mothers, including water births, midwifery care and pain management
• Level II Special Care Nursery dedicated to newborns who need more intensive care
• Childbirth preparation classes and newborn photos onsite

Franciscan Women's Health at Virginia Mason will provide convenient access to prenatal care and comprehensive obstetrical and gynecological services. It will be located on Level 8 of Virginia Mason's Lindeman Pavilion.

The Virginia Mason Birth Center, an Alliance with CHI Franciscan will be located at the Floyd & Delores Jones Pavilion at Virginia Mason. Located on Level 16, the new facility will offer panoramic views of the city, the mountains, and the Puget Sound.

About CHI Franciscan and Virginia Mason's Clinical Partnership and Strategic Affiliation
CHI Franciscan and Virginia Mason formalized their clinical partnership and strategic affiliation in March 2017. The two organizations remain distinct and separate but work together to expand care services in the region. Virginia Mason joined CHI Franciscan's accountable care organization, Rainier Health Network, to connect patients with more than 3,000 providers available between the two organizations. The two also partner to deliver radiation oncology services at Highline Medical Center in Burien and St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way.

About CHI Franciscan
CHI Franciscan is a Catholic nonprofit health system based in Tacoma, Washington, with $2.45 billion in total revenue and a team of more than 12,000 physicians, providers, nurses, and staff that provide expert, compassionate medical care at 11 acute care hospitals and over 200 primary and specialty care clinics throughout the greater Puget Sound. This includes St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor; St. Clare Hospital, Lakewood; St. Elizabeth Hospital, Enumclaw; St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way; St. Joseph Medical Center, Tacoma; Harrison Medical Center, Bremerton and Silverdale; Highline Medical Center, Burien; Regional Hospital, Burien; CHI Franciscan Rehabilitation Hospital, Tacoma, and Wellfound Behavioral Health Hospital, Tacoma. Started in 1891 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, today CHI Franciscan is one of the largest health systems in Washington state. The system is comprised of more than 1,200 hospital beds and over 4,000 credentialed providers offering cardiovascular care, cancer care, orthopedics and sports medicine, neurosciences, women's care and other health care services. CHI Franciscan's mission is to create healthier communities, including caring for the poor and underserved. In fiscal year 2018, the organization provided $190 million in community benefit—free, subsidized, and reduced cost health care and programs. Follow CHI Franciscan on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CHIFranciscan, Twitter @CHIFranciscan and Instagram @chi.franciscan or go to our website for information www.chifranciscan.org.

About Virginia Mason Health System 
Virginia Mason, founded in 1920, is a nonprofit regional health care system based in Seattle that serves the Pacific Northwest. In the Puget Sound region, the system includes 336-bed Virginia Mason Hospital; a primary and specialty care group practice of more than 500 physicians; outpatient medical facilities and services in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Bellevue, Edmonds, Federal Way, Kirkland, Issaquah and Lynnwood; and Virginia Mason Institute, which trains health care professionals and others from around the world in the Virginia Mason Production System, an innovative management methodology for continually improving quality, safety and efficiency.

Virginia Mason Health System also includes Virginia Mason Memorial, which has served Yakima Valley in central Washington since 1950.

SOURCE CHI Franciscan

Related Links

https://www.chifranciscan.org